WEST FORT HOOD — Family and friends saw off more than 400 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade soldiers Sunday afternoon, kicking off the brigade’s nine-month deployment to Kosovo.

Along with National Guard soldiers, the unit will spend about a month in Germany for additional training before setting off for the southeastern European nation.

The 504th has been preparing for this deployment for a year, said Maj. James Battle, rear detachment brigade executive officer. “We’re very confident (about) mission success,” he said. The brigade will serve as third responders, supporting U.S. Army Europe and NATO forces in riot control.

The deployment will be a bit less lonely for Sgt. Keyon Martin, of the brigade’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company — his brother will be deploying with him.

“It’s cool,” Martin said. “It’ll be easier having family around.”

His wife, TraShanta Martin, stood alongside him as he played with their 21-month-old son.

“The first deployment was hard, because I was pregnant and it was just me at Fort Bliss,” she said. This time, she feels better prepared. “It’ll be hard with (my son) not knowing what is going on, but we’ll be Skyping every day and sending packages.”

After 20 hours of travel, by plane and bus, I finally made it to Camp Casey, South Korea with the remainder of Fort Hood’s 1st Brigade Combat Team soldiers. For the next several days, I will be following the mission and daily lives of Ironhorse troopers as they begin a nine-month rotation in the land of the morning calm.